ATBECHDEDKESFRGBGRITLILUNLSEMCPTIESILTLVFIROMKCYALTRBGCZEE....SK................JDIM350 (Ver 2.1 Jan 2001) 1620000/01322052EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATIONA320031022EP02293000.220021205EnEnEn013021420011218GB20031022200343200306252003267 7H 04B 10/08 AdeVerfahren zur optischen Übertragung von Signalisierungsinformationen in optischen VerbindungenenSupervisory signalling for optical communications equipmentfrProcédé de transmission optique d'informations de signalisation dans des liaisons optiques2ALCATEL00201871103656HASOSND/I54, rue la Boétie75008 ParisFREvans, Anthony John23 Derwent CloseDartford, Kent DA1 2TTGBWilletts, Derek C.Villarosa, Dakfield LaneWilminston, Kent OA1 2TEGBLamoureux, Bernardet al00083291Compagnie Financière Alcatel Département de Propriété Industrielle, 5, rue Noel Pons92734 Nanterre CedexFRATBEBGCHCYCZDEDKEEESFIFRGBGRIEITLILUMCNLPTSESISKTRALLTLVMKRO20031022200343

A method and apparatus for supervisory signalling relating to submarine optical communications equipment on a submarine optical communications system. Status information on an optical transmission line used to transmit a data signal is transmitted by applying a control signal to an optical attenuator through which the data signal passes. The attenuator modulates the data signal by a signal corresponding to the status information. The status information could be, for example, information regarding a branching unit coupled to the optical transmission line or regarding an optical equaliser coupled to the optical transmission line.